8 Tips for College Preparedness

Summer is sadly drawing to a close. But that also means there’s a buzz of excitement as college swings back into session. As parents and students, we can all feel our mental gears shifting. So what do we do?

General wisdom holds that success—in college, in LIFE—smiles on the most prepared. And the numbers argue that fact even more precisely. If you want a leg up, you have to stack the deck in your favor. At YouScience, we believe that it’s never too late for students to make their summer productive.

So, to help prepare current college students as well as those getting ready for their first year, we created this infographic full of tips. We’ve even excerpted some of our favorites below.

Get a Job or Internship, A.K.A. #DoWork Research shows that those who work in high school have wages 10 to 15 percent higher when they graduate from college. But note that the competition for jobs—especially unpaid internships—has stiffened. Since 2001, 30 percent more high school students are taking them. Aside from the valuable work experience, remember that mom and dad still cover room and board.

Manage Your Professional Network To recruiters and professionals, you are your social presence, so be conscientious about what you are posting. 37 percent of job recruiters say that social professional networks are one of the most important sources for hiring and 90 of the Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn to find profiles. It’s the perfect time to begin virtually hobnobbing.

Get Smart About Course Prep The classes you choose now will have a major impact on your next four years. Colleges and universities across the country offer a total of nearly 1,500 academic programs. So how do you know what to take? The YouScience College Success Profile helps to find the intersection of your personal aptitudes and interests to identify the best fit for a field of study.